Products

FreeMeshX is a global terrain mesh replacement for the stock terrain mesh and features LOD10 (38-m) coverage for almost the entire world. LOD10 is equal to the same terrain level of detail used for the USA in the stock scenery. The rest of the world varies from LOD6 to LOD9. FreeMeshX was created to bring the rest of the world up to the LOD10 standard as much as possible, although some regions of the world in the higher latitudes are still limited to LOD9 (76-m). Compiling the source data into LOD11 yields neglibible improvements and is mostly a waste of precious hard drive space.

FreeMeshX features LOD10 (38-m resolution) coverage for:

North America (A separate LOD12 USA mesh is available for beta testing)

Europe

Asia

Africa

Australia and Oceania

A few regions are limited to LOD9 (76-m resolution):

Antarctica

Greenland

Russian territories north of 60 N latitude

FreeMeshX was compiled using over 400 GB of raw terrain data. The final size of the product is 46 GB, making it one of the largest freeware projects ever for FS. It wouldn’t be in everyone’s best interests to download all 46 GB at once, so we are releasing the product the product into continental regions for a total of 7 regions total. Each continent contains a number of 10 deg x 10 deg titles, mosaiced from 1 deg x 1 deg tiles into a 2.5 GB file, and then compressed into a BGL file. Defragmentation is highly recommended for mechanical hard drives to ensure smooth and quick loading.

Largest improvements are found in regions that contained mainly the default LOD6 and LOD7 meshes. These included remote regions of Africa, South America, Antarctica, and Asia. Europe and Canada sees some improvement, but it’s LOD9 mesh is just a one level upgrade to LOD10. Subtle improvements for these previously LOD9 regions will be found mainly in the accuracy of the mesh and level of detail in mountain ranges.

DOWNLOAD:

NOTE: DUE TO THE EVERY INCREASING COSTS OF FILE HOSTING, WE HAVE SUSPENDED THE AUTOMATIC DOWNLOAD SCRIPTS.

NEW INSTALLATION METHOD:

FreeMeshX Global 2.0 is a convenience update to introduce the new installation and download method that should alleviate the difficulty of installing FreeMeshX for some users. If you are already installed and patched to version 1.07, then there is no need to reinstall. A 2.01 update will introduce some additional terrain fixes soon.

Included is a command-line based download system that uses the free and open-source wget tool to retrieve each installer and its associated parts. The entire download process is contained with a batch file that will commence automatically by simply double-clicking on it. Note, do not run the installer as administrator — the downloader will fail. The download process is fully resumable, so those with slower download bandwidth can stop the download, and resume it at a later point. The installer will automatically detect where it left off and resume. The installers for each region are comprised by an .exe file and several .bin files if necessary. All of these files for each region must be downloaded completely into one folder before the installer .exe can be run. A downloader batch file is included for each region, and an all-in-one batch file is included for those who want to download the entire set in one go. A raw list of download links is also available who prefer to download the files through their own methods.

Interior view of the extracted download folder:

Example of the download tool working:

A list of MD5SUMs is also included for those who want to directly verify the integrity of any or all files. A map is also included to illustrate how the world is divided up into regions.

FreeMeshX Global 2.0 is cumulative. It includes all patches to each region, and an updated “FreeMeshX – Patches” folder where miscellaneous fixes belong. There is no need to download the old 7-ZIP parts from 1.0 – 1.07. They are fully incorporated into version 2.0.

INSTALLATION:

These installers will install each FreeMeshX Global region into a directory of your choosing. We highly recommend installing FreeMeshX Global OUTSIDE of your C:\Program Files directory.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO ADD THIS FOLDER TO YOUR SIMULATOR’S SCENERY LIBRARY. This installer will not automatically add a Scenery Library entry (we don’t want to accidentally corrupt your scenery.cfg). There are many tutorials online on how to add a Scenery Library entry for your simulator.

We try to modify your system as little as possible. Therefore, no registries and no uninstaller are created. To uninstall FreeMeshX Global, simply delete the installed folder. We designed the installer this way so that you will have the full flexibility to do with FreeMeshX as you please e.g. such as moving it to another drive.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

FreeMeshX does not update any vectors in the simulator. Vectors control the elevations of water bodies such as lakes, ponds, and rivers, and the elevations of airports. The mesh cannot alter these. Using FreeMeshX without a 3rd-party package to update the vectors within the simulator will result in the topography of the updated terrain to lie at different elevations while the vectors still remain at their inaccurate elevations. This mismatch will lead to artifcacts such as raised or sunken airports and waterbodies that will break immersion. Therefore, it is HIGHLY CRITICAL that the simulator’s vectors are updated as well, such as through FTX Vectors or UTX, or the topography system of the simulator will be INCOMPLETE. We officially recommend the use of FTX Vectors because all of our testing incorporates it, and it uses elevations derived from the SRTM dataset, the same dataset we use for FreeMeshX Global. To conclude, it does not make any sense to use a global mesh without using any updated vectors. Likewise it does not make sense to use updated vectors without using an updated mesh.

FreeMeshX is officially supported for FSX, FSX:SE, and all versions of P3D (including 64-bit P3D).

FreeMeshX should be placed above the default terrain entries in the Scenery Library, and below any airports or FTX Regions or landclasses.

– Incorporated new installers and an automatic downloader to easily fetch installers over HTTP
– New installers are up to date with all previous patches (1.01 – 1.07)
– High-resolution 50 GB USA mesh now available through sign-up beta process

The open beta for FreeMeshX USA has begun. This is a 50 GB LOD12 (9.5 m pixel size) terrain mesh that enhances the topography of the continental 48 United States. Note, Hawaii and Alaska are unfinished. The source data used is from the US Geological Survey’s National Elevation Database and is the highest quality data we’ve worked with.

The USA mesh is unfinished. We have not optimized the level of detail for the plethora of terrains found in the CONUS. For example, the Great Plains are also rendered at LOD12, which is a bit of a waste of data, so we will likely cut down the LOD to LOD11 in the future and increase the compression for the flatter areas of the country. This could save quite a bit of HDD space in the end.

We have also filled in gaps between the CONUS and neighboring countries with LOD11 data based on SRTM and CDED data. So the entire world should now be completely replaced with FreeMeshX Global and FreeMeshX USA.

The mesh is compatible with all versions of FSX and P3D. Flight Sim World is not supported — that’s not a permanent declaration — we just don’t know enough about it and haven’t tried using FreeMeshX with it.

About the airport plateau problem:

I have not finished my solution to the airport plateau problem, but I’ve made much progress in that direction. I’ve withheld the release for this very reason until now because it can break the immersion. As many know, the airport plateau problem is a fundamental issue that affects all meshes. Since the ESP engine forces airports to lie flat on undulating or sloped terrain, these artifacts at airports become quite significant at higher LOD. There is no thorough workaround yet. FTX Vectors can only do so much by adjusting the elevation of a small fraction of the airports. The only true way to fix this issue is by DTG or LM rewriting how airports lie on terrain, but I have not seen any inkling of motivation from them to solve it. Until then, I am working on my own solution that will adjust the mesh around each airport so that the airport blends in seamlessly with the surrounding terrain. It’s not an easy task for me. It’s an elusive problem that requires thorough planning and testing. I originally withheld release until I had the solution working, but time commitments to my PhD research and limitations of my own has not allowed me to solve it yet. You all have been very patient, and I have decided to release an open beta for those who understand the airport plateau problem and won’t report to me every time they see an airport affected by it. Trust me, I’m working on it!

Download:

NOTE: DUE TO THE EVERY INCREASING COSTS OF FILE HOSTING, WE HAVE SUSPENDED THE AUTOMATIC DOWNLOAD SCRIPTS.

FTX compatibility:

The FTX regions with the USA come with their own mesh and they are also rendered at LOD12. We have not tested compatibility extensively, and we would like to see reports from the beta users on how the FTX meshes and FreeMeshX USA mesh conflict. Since they are both the same level of detail, there may be some conflict. If there is, the likely suggestion would be to uncheck FMX – USA from your Scenery Library when flying in the FTX regions. We highly encourage the use of FTX Vectors. Any good mesh needs a good vector replacement package.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

1. Defragment your mechanical HDD. The rendering of the highly detailed mesh requires a fast CPU and quick access to the data on the HDD. Obviously, if the data is fragmented and scattered all over the HDD, then that can slow the rendering down, i.e. blurries.

2. Install the mesh on a fast HDD for similar reasons.

3. Do not expect your computer to keep up if you’re doing Mach 1.2 over the terrain unless your computer is very quick! The HDD has to stream the data and then process it via your CPU. That takes some time!

4. Place the FreeMeshX USA folder above the other FreeMeshX folders, including the FreeMeshX Patches folder if you have one, and below any FTX regions in the Scenery Library.

5. To reduce mesh popping (where higher LOD mesh pops in — another limitation of the ESP engine), use a higher LOD_Radius in your fsx.cfg or p3d.cfg. We recommend a minimum of 6.5. I personally use 8.5 which is a nice compromise between performance, memory, and visuals. The higher the LOD_Radius, the further out the mesh will be drawn at its maximum LOD, less mesh popping, and the better it looks!

6. Obviously, feel free to use your texture and landclass solution. We use FTX Global and openLC USA/Canada. Because it’s beautiful.

Hot Fix 1 (809 MB)

Fixes the error in the N40W085.bgl file where some terrain was mistakenly set to sea level.

Patch 1.07

Thank you for the reports of terrain anomalies. Without your reports, some of these bugs would have continued to go unnoticed and unfixed. We greatly appreciate it.

Patch Description

Like the previous patch, 1.07 focuses mainly on some of the more remote parts of the world, with the bulk of the improvements in South America. Nonetheless, 1.07 should fix some of the “papercuts” in Florida where some random hills have appeared in the 1.0 release. The islands of Madagascar and Papau New Guinea see some corrections, as well as Ulawa Island off in the Pacific.

This patch is non-cumulative. I recommend you install the cumulative patch 1.05 and patch 1.06 before you install 1.07. Many fixes and upgrades are included in 1.05 and 1.06.

Changelog additions:

– Smoothed out more artifacts near KMCO and KTPA
– Major cleanup of eastern Patagonia
– Removed large terrain spike near Ulawa Island (near Solomon Islands)
– Some fixes for Papau New Guinea
– Removed spikes in northern Madagascar
– Cleaned up more of the Andes mountains, including spike near Illimani mountain

Installation

Here is your installation guide for patch 1.07:

Drag and drop the scenery folder from each FreeMeshX region folder from the 1.07 patch into your corresponding installed region folder. Overwrite all files.

Hypothetical relative scenery library order:

Of course, your real load order will be different, but you must keep the FreeMeshX – Patches library entry above the FreeMeshX regions.

I’ve been frequently asked on where to add these in the scenery library. The answer is: It’s up to you. I would keep them before any ORBX regions and after your stock scenery. That’s about all the advice we can give you since everyone’s library is so different.

Download (562 MB)

Both BitTorrent or MediaFire download is supported. If there is active seeding by numerous seeders, the BitTorrent option is often faster, and the file integrity checks are exceptional. However, MediaFire serves great download speeds, especially if a download manager is used, which we highly recommend in order to avoid corrupted downloads and for pause/resume functionality.

Patch 1.06

This patch fixes several remote areas in South America, but also fixes artifacts in the Alps that were mistakenly introduced in patch 1.05. Some small miscellaneous fixes are also included for Florida and Vietnam.

Patch Description

Remote areas of Patagonia and Amazonia Profunda needed some major corrections. That is the bulk of this patch. In patch 1.05, when I recompiled the area of N 40 deg E 010 deg, I forgot to include some corrected data, so the previous patch actually introduced some artifacts, especially near Innsbruck, Austria. This area is now fixed in patch 1.06. In addition, a water bug was smoothed out near KFLL, and a spike was removed near Hi Van Pass near Da Nang, Vietnam.

This patch is non-cumulative. I recommend you install the cumulative patch 1.05 before you install 1.06. Many fixes and upgrades are included in 1.05.

Installation

Here is your installation guide for patch 1.06:

Drag and drop the scenery folder from each FreeMeshX region folder from the 1.05 patch into your corresponding installed region folder. Overwrite all files. Do the same for the FreeMeshX – Patches folder.

Hypothetical relative scenery library order:

Of course, your real load order will be different, but you must keep the FreeMeshX – Patches library entry above the FreeMeshX regions.

I’ve been frequently asked on where to add these in the scenery library. The answer is: It’s up to you. I would keep them before any ORBX regions and after your stock scenery. That’s about all the advice we can give you since everyone’s library is so different.

Download (885 MB)

Both BitTorrent or MediaFire download is supported. If there is active seeding by numerous seeders, the BitTorrent option is often faster, and the file integrity checks are exceptional. However, MediaFire serves great download speeds, especially if a download manager is used, which we highly recommend in order to avoid corrupted downloads and for pause/resume functionality.

Patch 1.05

This patch is mainly an update for the Mediterranean and Middle East area with new 1 arc-second data from NASA. This replaces many tiles and makes the older patches obsolete. Some bug fixes are also present.

Patch Description

In August 2015, three months after the 1.0 release of FreeMeshX Global, NASA released the last of its new 1 arc-second SRTM datasets. The new data finally updated the Mediterranean and Middle East regions with the highest resolution SRTM data available. For the FreeMeshX Global 1.0 release, a combination of LOD9 and LOD10 data was used for this region, but this approach was a bit buggy, and had to be straightened out with subsequent patches. Today, no combination of different resolution data is needed as this region is now completely LOD10.

As a result, much of the older patched terrain tiles will be replaced with full LOD10 tiles, and so it was decided to make this patch an all-in-one solution to bring FreeMeshX Global 1.0 to version 1.05. All of the previously patched data and the new patched data will be contained with this patch, so patches 1.01 – 1.04 will no longer be needed.

Other fixes include:

Fixed artifacts in NW Borneo near Gaya Island

Eiffel tower hump removed

Smooth out small artifacts near NTMU

Many Columbia spikes filtered out — replaced an entire tile

The total file size of the 1.05 patch is quite large: 9.7 GB. An incremental patch was considered for existing 1.04 users, but since much of the older patches will be overwritten, an incremental patch from 1.04 to 1.05 would still be large at 7.7 GB, so it was decided to just make a cumulative merged patch instead of possibly creating confusion with a second, incremental version.

Installation

The installation procedure is a different from the previous patches. Because there is a lot of new data in this patch, the patched data is now organized by region instead of being within a single “FreeMeshX – Patches” directory. Only miscellaneous fixes are now included in this particular folder.

Here is your installation guide for patch 1.05:

Inside your existing, installed “FreeMeshX – Patches/scenery” folder, delete all existing files. If you are a new FreeMeshX user and upgrading from 1.0 to 1.05, then you do not need to worry about this step.

Drag and drop the scenery folder from each FreeMeshX region folder from the 1.05 patch into your corresponding installed region folder. Overwrite all files. Do the same for the FreeMeshX – Patches folder.

Hypothetical relative scenery library order:

Of course, your real load order will be different, but you must keep the FreeMeshX – Patches library entry above the FreeMeshX regions.

I’ve been frequently asked on where to add these in the scenery library. The answer is: It’s up to you. I would keep them before any ORBX regions and after your stock scenery. That’s about all the advice we can give you since everyone’s library is so different.

Download (9.7 GB)

Both BitTorrent or MediaFire download is supported. If there is active seeding by numerous seeders, the BitTorrent option is often faster, and the file integrity checks are exceptional. However, MediaFire serves great download speeds, especially if a download manager is used, which we highly recommend in order to avoid corrupted downloads and for pause/resume functionality.

MD5SUM9470c232145bf50bac0a426acd42670b

Patch Description Please install after patch 1.03! Patch 1.01 Patch 1.02 This patch is mainly a workaround for an FSX mesh rendering bug, but also includes a few fixes for east Africa and Borneo. Every 30 degrees of longitude (30,60,90,120,150) in the east hemisphere experiences a strange seam issue that is visible in the distance, […]

Patch Description Please install after patch 1.02! This patch replaces the remaining faulty tile mosaics in Western Asia and Eastern Europe, and fixes source data artifacts in remote areas — Fiji, Papau New Guineau, Himalayas, and New Zealand fjords. This is a rather major patch (3.3 GB), and affects several FreeMeshX regions – Asia, Europe, […]

Patch Description This patch fixes issues with artifacts in tiles N50E010 and N50E020. Please install after patch 1.01! Regions affected are FreeMeshX – Europe, specifically the area of Poland and the Baltics. This region suffered from a few artifacts including elevation spikes and plateaus and small data voids. The problem was due to an oversight […]

Patch Description This patch fixes issues with artifacts in tiles N30E010 and N40E010. Regions affected are FreeMeshX – Europe, specifically the area of Italy and the Balkans. These areas suffered from stair-stepping and texture striping on initial release, and the bug came to our attention from community members Ebsy and Pe11e. Thanks guys! These two […]

It’s finally happened – FreeMeshX version 1.0 is now available for download! To read about the release as well as get your hands on the free goodness go ahead and click on the product page linked HERE!